However, if you look at it from a value perspective, Walden is paid $725/year -- vs $8.86m for Spencer. So Spencer got paid 10x more this year and assuming he gets $10m/year from someone next season he'll be getting roughly 13x more.

Between Walden and the Packers undrafted free agent OLB Desmond Moses, they got 7.5 sacks at a cost of $1m or so. I suspect the Packers are perfectly fine with that kind of performance at that price when they already have Raji and Matthews also pressuring on the front seven.

This kind of "value-based" strategy is something the Cowboys will have to consider when they contemplate resigning Spencer or not.

You can only have so many $10m/year guys on the team -- is Spencer one of those guys?

So the Cowboys are spending (in salary) 6x as much as the Packers per sack by their OLBs. The question is why?

If the Cowboys resign Spencer for $10m/year a year the cost goes up even more.

Nothing wrong with spending a lot of on position, however, I wonder sometimes about the relational value of how some of these big contracts play out and suspect that a good measure of teams like the Packer's success is predicated on putting together a reasonable blend of salaries and looking for "value" players.

Again -- the application of Sabermetrics thinking in football fascinates me -- not sure if it can really work since baseball (as opposed to football) is such an individual game -- especially hitting, however, it can't hurt to try to apply some of those theories and see what happens.

So Sabermetrics would have you believe that when Clay Mathews wants $15 mil a yr they should let him walk.
The problem with the baseball math theories in football is great players require other teams to commit more resources to deal with their greatness (which don't show in the stats) and allow other players to get the #'s.

You caught me ! Busted!! my agenda as a fan for the Dallas Cowboys is to just bash and dont actually LIKE this team, AMIRITE??

Well, the first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one. : Seriously, the guy has had two good games his entire career. One just happened to come in a playoff game, and now, we should have never gotten rid of him. PFF has him rated at something like -35, meaning he's way below average. Can't overreact to one game.

Well, the first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one. : Seriously, the guy has had two good games his entire career. One just happened to come in a playoff game, and now, we should have never gotten rid of him. PFF has him rated at something like -35, meaning he's way below average. Can't overreact to one game.

I hope nobody is arguing that Walden is at best, mediocre.

My question is this -- is Walden's production at $725,000/year worthwhile compared to Spencer's at $8,800,000 (likely ~$10,000,000/y if the resign him)?

It helps frame the conversation of deciding whether or not the Cowboys should break the bank on Spencer.

My question is this -- is Walden's production at $725,000/year worthwhile compared to Spencer's at $8,800,000 (likely ~$10,000,000/y if the resign him)?

It helps frame the conversation of deciding whether or not the Cowboys should break the bank on Spencer.

Sure. You're always trying to get value throughout the team. It's a tough balance. If Spencer walks, and they go cheap at SOLB, can they use that money to improve other areas, thus hopefully making the team better as a whole? That's what they have to decide.